Tips for the Tone It Up Bikini Challenge

April 25, 2016

Last year, I committed to doing the Tone It Up bikini challenge after I bought the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan. It was what got me excited about clean eating and working out every day. Today is the first day of the bigger and better 2016 challenge. Karena and Katrina and the rest of the Tone It Up team make it easy to participate and see results. (Yes! That is really me) Here are some ways to make this year’s Tone it Up Bikini Challenge work for you.

Plan, plan, plan

This will look very different for each person. I am such a planner, I plan time to plan. Each week, I schedule a day to plan out my meals, workouts, grocery list, and meal prep list for the next week. Most of the time I grocery shop and meal prep on Sundays, but sometimes I have to schedule it for another day. Typically, I sit down for 20-30 minutes and plan out the next week. First, I block out any meals that I know I will be eating out (there are several this week due to birthday celebrations). Then, I use the Tone It Up bikini program nutrition plan to fill in the rest of days. I try to stick with the plan 100%, but sometimes I make substitutions for snacks or meals for convenience.

Each meal I write down, I jot a list of the ingredients I don’t have and will need to purchase. The nutrition plan comes with the meals and grocery lists each week, but it is easier for me to write down what I need since I am feeding Colton and myself.

Once my meals are planned out, I write out my workouts for the week. Confession: I have not been great with my morning workouts the last few weeks, so I am committing to getting in these “TIU bootycalls” for this challenge. Again, I follow their plan and make tweaks as needed (since I like to take classes at The Barre Code or for TIU meetups).

Clean out your kitchen

Get rid of all processed junk foods and foods that are not good for you. Usually we don’t keep a lot of that around the house. However, it begins to accumulate, so I throw it out (or send it with Colton to work). Also, cleaning out your kitchen makes it much easier to locate the ingredients you will need for your meals throughout the week. Challenges are the best time for me to take inventory of what I have and what I need.

Restock your kitchen with healthy snacks and plenty of fruits and vegetables. My fridge becomes a sea of green at the start of any challenge. When you feel hungry, grab an apple or carrots! I pre pack snacks during my weekly meal prep so that it is easy to grab and go.

Hydrate

If you don’t already have a large water container, get one. I carry my Yeti around with me every day at work and around the house. Make sure you fill it up and drink at least half of your body weight in water. It will keep you from unnecessary snacking and make your skin glow.

Before photos and measurements

Do them. You don’t have to post them anywhere, but it is so nice to see how far you come in just 8 weeks. I like to keep mine and do a 4 week progress comparison to get me even more hyped up for the last 4 weeks. Sometimes it is hard to notice small (and big!) changes in ourselves. However, with side by side photos, you will be amazed at your progress!

This year’s 2016 TIU bikini challenge before photos

Get involved

If you haven’t already, create a TIU or fitness specific Instagram. That way you aren’t annoying all of your friends on your personal list and you can engage with other TIU girls around the globe. My TIU instagram (tiu_redheadjess) was how I stayed motivated during the last bikini challenge. We have lots of meetups, #TIUDallas girls…. so keep an eye out.

Related

Wow! You look fabulous already! This post came at the perfect time for me because I’m trying SUPER hard to get that bikini body I’ve always wanted. My weight is some of the lowest it’s been in years but the problem is that I don’t FEEL healthy; I mostly have dropped weight because I’ve been stressed and eating less. It’s time to stay committed and not cheat myself. Going grocery shopping after work today !! Thank you for the inspiration!!

JessicaApril 25, 2016 at 1:51 pm

Thank you so much Chelsea! Feeling healthy is so important. Glad I could be a little inspiration. YOU can do this!! 🙂

I’m also a TIU girl, but I have to be honest… I don’t love a lot of the meals in the meal plan. 🙁 It makes me so sad!! I do try to stick to the principles behind the plan though. I think it’s worth purchasing just for learning how to tweak your nutrition for the best results!

JessicaApril 25, 2016 at 1:54 pm

Oh no! Have you looked at the newest one? The bikini plan has a ton of new recipes that look great. I was a big fan of the last bikini recipes. I agree though, the principles are great.

I always hesitate to buy the meal plan because reviews say the meals are complicated or have weird ingredients. It’s obviously working for you though. 🙂 What are 5 pantry ingredients that you keep stocked that never would have been in your kitchen before TIU?

JessicaApril 26, 2016 at 8:52 am

Thanks, girl. Some of the recipes are a little complicated. I save them for summer when I have more time, but most of them are easy. The ingredients can all be replaced or left out if you don’t have them. They do a great job with their challenge plan because it uses the same ingredients all week so you don’t waste. That’s an excellent question. I would say…
1- Unsweetened Almond milk (both regular and vanilla) 2- A variety of different nuts (all unsalted) 3-Chocolate and vanilla protein powder 4-kale (not really pantry, but you get the point) 5-cacao powder/cacao nibs 😀

You have done such an amazing progress, well done! You really look awesome! I am not planning the whole week’s meals, for some reason I want to be spontaneous about it and still eat healthy. Though I plan my groceries, always getting ingredients to make smoothies and fresh juices at home. Also, yes, I drink lots of water during the day.

Good luck on your challenge, you got this!

Zaria

JessicaApril 28, 2016 at 2:57 pm

Thank you, Zaria. I think if you prepare your kitchen with the right ingredients… you will make healthy spontaneous choices. Drinking water is so important (and something I sometimes get too “busy” to remember to do). Great job girl.